Result of the day
CSKA – Traktor Chelyabinsk 3-2. There is such a notion as “your own team” and it seems this perfectly applies to CSKA and their forward Albert Leshchev. In the last four matches he has contributed one goal and six assists (two in the meeting with Traktor). Compare this with his total for 14 games this season for SKA: only two goal-making passes.

What has changed, apart from the club? First of all, playing time: Leshchev is spending over 17 minutes on the ice, whereas in Saint Petersburg it was less than 11. Add the appearance of two permanent striking partners, Dmitry Monya and Nikita Filatov, young and hungry guys, who are supporting the 38-year-old player.

And what about Chelyabinsk? There is a feeling they need their own Leshchev, who can change the club and prove to his previous employers, and indeed to himself, that he is capable of more. Possibly, it is just this kind of player which Andrei Nazarov lacks, players who would at least take advantage of numerical superiority - indeed, for two minutes the Chelyabinsk men were playing five against three.

In the day’s other matches all the hosts suffered defeats. Amur were beaten in overtime by Avangard, 2-3, Vityaz, also in overtime, lost to Avtomobilist, 3-4, and Torpedo went down to Metallurg Magnitogorsk, 2-4.

Wasted opportunity
Traktor Chelyabinsk have again lost a match after winning the first period. On this score, the Ural men have the worst statistic in the League: five times they have taken a lead into the first break, but went on to win only twice. Four clubs in the KHL have still not wasted such an advantage.

No severe defeats
Avangard Omsk set a club record for their time in the KHL, by scoring points in ten successive games. In this spell they have had two regulation wins, one victory in overtime, and one in the shoot-out, but also three defeats in overtime and in the shoot-out.

First defeat
For the first time this season, Amur Khabarovsk have lost in overtime. Last season the Far East club was just as capable in added time, losing on only one occasion and winning on two. But this season the Khabarovsk men have still not managed a “golden goal”.

Winning when outnumbered
Denis Parshin of CSKA has become the second player this season to score a short-handed game-winning goal. The previous player to achieve this was Andrei Spiridonov of Barys, back in September against Dinamo Riga. In the KHL already eight players have managed to score twice while their team is a man short.

Popikhin’s loss
Torpedo head coach Evgeny Popikhin suffered his first defeat since returning to the club. In his second spell at Nizhny Novgorod, he and the team have earned 9 points, and before today all were away games. Popikhin set a record last season for serial regulation time victories, winning five in a row (three at home and two away).

Career record
Metallurg Magnitogorsk’s 37-year-old defenseman Vladislav Bulyin set a personal record for goals scored in one season. He has now scored 4 in 28 matches. The player had never before managed more than three, and his last trio was back in season 2007-08.

Verot's first point
The KHL’s leading player for collecting penalty minutes, Vityaz attacker Darsy Verot, earned his first points for an assist. Overall, Verot has not been the greatest point-scorer: in season 2007-08 he collected 4 points (2+2) in 43 games, and last season he earned 5 (1+4) in 28 games, whereas he has already gathered 882 minutes of penalties.

Only a little, but often
Avtomobilist goaltender Denis Franskevich is not the leader of the penalty minutes table, but no other goaltender in the KHL has been sent off more times. Franskevich has already been punished by the referee on seven occasions for various offenses. Only 11 players at Avtomobilist have amassed more penalty minutes. Interestingly, one of these is Ivan Lisutin - also a goalie.

Figures of the day
34 shots at the Traktor goal from the CSKA players.

Share

Related news

KHL.ru is the official Web site of the Kontinental Hockey League. All KHL logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the KHL and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of KHL, ltd

KHL.ru is the official Web site of the Kontinental Hockey League. All KHL logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the KHL and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of KHL, ltd